Mongoloid

Human polymorphisms in several enzymes involved in toluene metabolism are known. In Mongoloid populations, deficiency in the low form of aldehyde dehydrogenase H2 (ALDH2) is common approximately half of the Japanese population lacks this enzyme. In ALDH2-deficient exposed workers, an increased level of benzyl alcohol was found, but benzaldehyde was not detectable urinary excretion of hippurate was decreased in the deficient individuals. The CYPlAl polymorphism, alcohol consumption and smoking were all associated with decreased hippurate excretion, but the interdependence was too complex to allow detailed conclusions on the mechanisms to be drawn (Kawamoto et al., 1995). 

Ethnic groups were defined as follows Mongoloid, primarily Japanese descent Caucasoid, European descent Africoid, African descent. 

Mongoloid melanosomes again could be attributed to differences in hair color. CesarinP also reported that melanosomes in Mongoloid hair are transferred individually or in aggregates to cells moving upward from the hair bulb to form the hair shaft. 

The binding of chemicals to hair is also affected by hair type. Lotzsch et al. studied the adsorption and desorption of distearyl-dimethylammonium chloride (DSD-MAC) with three Caucasoid and three Mongoloid hair samples. DSDMAC is a cationic surfactant which is used in commercial cosmetic products such as setting lotions and rinses for hair treatment. For hair samples treated with DSDMAC, adsorption was... 

Gershoff et al. (G3) observed no significant differences, following the ingestion of 5 g DL-tryptophan, in N -methylnicotinamide and creatinine excretion, but xanthurenic acid was lower in mongoloids than in non-mongoloid mentally retarded children. 

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